Engine-starting apparatus



1,641, Sept" 1927 F. J. HARDMAN 383 ENGINE STARTING APPARATUS Filed July 15, 1924 82 88 8/ 45 5/ pkg: 7/ 7o 4 66 As 60 45 44 f i I 42 45 Patented Sept. 6, 192 7.

- UNITED STATES PATIENT. OFFICE.-

FBEDERICK J. HARDMAN, OiF IbAYTON, OHIO, ASSIGNOB, BY MESNE ASSIGNE ENTS, TO DELCO-BEMY CORPORATION, OF DAYTON, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

EKGINE-STARTING APPARATUS.

Application filed m 15, 1924. Serial m 726,212.

This inventionrelates to an electrical en gine starting apparatus for internal combustion engines and more particularly to the type which includes anelectrical motor and connections between the motor and the engine including a. pinion normally demeshed rom a gear connected with the en ine, said connections including means where y, when the engine starts, the pinion will be automati'cally demeshed from the engine gear.-

The pinion is moved into mesh with the motor to operate at a relatively -slow speed to facilitateengagement of the motor pinion with theengine gear, and to provide for withholding the full cranking current from the motor until the inion is very nearly in full en agement wit the engine gear.

F urtfier objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein a preferred embodiment of one form of the present invention is clearly shown.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary side View partly in section of the starting apparatus embodyig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 with the apparatus in position for cranking the en ine;

ig. 3 is a wiring diagram showing the circuits for producing slow rotation of the motor prior to engine cranking and also the en ine cranking circuit.

he engine is not shown in the drawing but is represented byea flywheel gear which is adapted to driven and to drive a pinion 21 which is threadedly engaged b spiral splines 22 formed on the motor sha t 23 of the motor 24. The motor 24 includes a field frame 25 attached to a left end frame not shown and to the rightend frame or gear housing 26. The two end frames proing the present invention;

- terclockwise direction so t vide bearings for the shaft 23, one of these hearings being shown at 27 To the shaft 23 is pinned or otherwise secured a stop collar 28 for receiving a thrust of'pinion 21 when driving the gear 20. Between bearing 27 and the thrust collar 28 there is located a thrust washer 29 for receiving the thrust of A the pinion 21 transmitted through the collar 28.

The hub 30 of pinion 21 is provided with flanges 31 and 32 including a groove 33 which receives the arms of apinion shifting armor lever 34 pivoted on rod 35, the arms of thelever being connected by a yoke 36. a

A spring 37 surrounding the rod bears at end 38 upon the housing 26, and at the end a 39 upon yoke 36. The spring 37 therefore urges the lever 34 in clockwise direction so that the flange 31. is normally maintained against a stop 40 integral with the shaft 23 'or provided by a tubular sleeve surrounding the shaft.

The mechanism for operating the lever 34 includes a pedal 41 connected by a pedal rod 42 with a lever 43 which is pivotally connected with the rod 35. Motion from the lever 43 is transmitted to the lever 34 by a pin 44 connected with lever 43 which plvotally supports a link member or pawl 45 adapted to engage a notch 46 provided by lever 34. The spring 47 surrounds the pin 44 and bears at one end 48 against a stud 49 attached to lever 43, and at the end 50, against an ear 51 integral with and at right angles to the pawl 45. The spring 47 therefore yieldingly urges the pawl 45 in a counat the pawl tends to return to the position shown in Fig. 1.

The mechanism for disengaging pawl 45- from the lever 34 includes a roller attached to a bracket 61 connected to a plunger rod' 62 which is slidable. through posts 63 and 64. The rod 62 is attached to a collar 65-. The s ring 66 included between the.

post 64 an the collar 65 tends to maintain the collar 65 against the post 63.

The switch mechanism for causin the motor to operate relatively slowly inc udes a non-conducting block 70 attached to rod 62 and adapted to engageand move downwardly a resilient contact arm 71 carrying a contact 72 for engaging contact 73 as indicated in Fi 1. Contacts 72 and 73 are connected wit a battery 74 and with an auxiliary high resistance field winding 75 of the-motor 24 which is provided with a lowresistance series field 76 and armature 77 The mechanism for causing the motor to erate the motor to crank the en me inc udes lever 43 provided with an ad ustable screw 80 for engaging the plunger 81 of a motor switch 82 including, as indicated in Fig. 3, a movable contact 83 and stationary contacts 84 and 85. These contacts are cated within the switch case, and one of the contacts 85 is connected with a terminal 86 v for connecting the switch with the battery 82 is secure the lever 43 to move downwardly carrying the pawl which engages the lever 34 and actuates -the inion toward the. right of the drawings. uring this movement, theear 51 of pawl 45 is engaged by, the roller 60 and the spring 66 is pressed eyond its natural state of compression. The sprin 66 lever 34.

tends to move the awl 45 clockwise an out "of engagement with the lever 34, but this separation will not occur immediately on account of friction between the pawl 45 and the lever 34. The notch 46fand the end of pawl '45 are shaped so that, while pedal 41 1S transmitting motion to'the pinion 21, friction between the parts 45 and 34 will be greater than the force exerted by the spring 66 tending to move the pawl 45 out of the notch 46. g

Movement of the rod 62 to the left causes the contacts 72 and Z3 be closed to connect the motor 24with the'loattery 74 through the high resistance field 7 5. As the-pinion 21 approachesthe pinion 20 it is rotated slowly to facilitate meshment with gear 20. Continued pressure upon the edal 41 causes the pinion 21 to continue to move toward the collar 28;and, when the pinion-21 is closely adjacent thecollar 28, the motor switch 82 will be closed. This operation causes the contact 83 to engage contacts 84' and 85 and to cause'the motor to crank the engine.

Before the switch 82 is closed, the bracket 61 is stopped by switch post63. Since movement of roller to the left is prevented,

further downward movement of pedal 41- causesthe' awl 45 to be disengaged from e lever 34 is entirely released from the pedal by the time. the main switch 82 is closed. v Fig. 2 shows the apparatus in position while cranln'ng the engine. After the engine has become self-operative the motor will be disconnected from the engine by virtue of the superiorrotation of the engine gear 20 relative to the pinion 21 which rotation causes the pinion '21 to be automatically threaded out of engagement with the gear 20. This demeshment will occur without hindrance from the depressed pedal 41 because the levers 34 and 43 are then disconnected.

To restore-the starter into normal position and disconnect the motor from the battery the pedal 41 is released, whereupon the spring 90 will move lever 43 clockwise to restore the pawl 45 to engagementwith the notch 46. The spring 66 will restore the rod 62 to normal-position thereby permitting the blade 71 to separate the contact 72 from the contact 73. Release of the plunger 81 will permit the spring 88 to return the plunger I 81 to normal position and separate the contact 83 from contacts 84 and 85. Therefore the motor will be disconnected from the batte ne of the main advantages of the present invention is that the gears can be engaged with substantially no shock tending to destroy the gear teeth. While there is some clearance between the pinion 21 and stop- 28 when the main motor switch 82 is closed this clearance is so small that the momentum acquired by the pinion 21 during its endwise movement is very small. Consequently the energy to beabsorbed by the mechanism when this endwise movement suddenly changse to rotation, is insuflicient to cause injury to the gear teeth.

at I claim is as follows:

1. Engine starting apparatus comprising, in combination, a gear connected with an engine to. be started; an electric motor;

' connections between the motor and gear including a pinion and mcanswhereby the pinion will be automaticallydemeshed from the engine gear when the engine starts; a switch for controlling a circuit for efiecting relatively slow operation of the motor;

a switch for controlling a circuit for efiectingrelatively high torque o oration of the motor; means for closing t e first switch to facilitate gear tooth registration, for j moving the pinion into mesh with the engine gear, and then for closing the second switch, said means including a pedal and pinion shifting member; and means including the actuator of the first switch for effectingthe disconnection of the edal and pinion shiftin member after t e pinion has been meshe with the engine gear.

2. Engine starting apparatus comprising, in combination, a gear connected with an engine to be started; an electric motor; connections between the motor and gear including a pinion and means whereby the pinion will be automatically demeshed from thepawl pivoted on one lever and normally enof the gaging the other lever; a switch for closing a circuit for effecting relatively slow operation of the motor, said switch having an actuator arranged in the path of movement awl to be engaged thereby to close the switch while the levers remain connected, the pawl being finally disengaged from said other lever due to contactwith theactuator and movement of the pedal after the pinion hasbeen meshed with the engine gear; and a second switch closed by operation of the pedal for effecting the engine cranking operation of the motor.

3. Engine starting apparatus comprising, in combination, a gear connected with an engine to be started; an electric motor; connections between the motor and gear including a pinion and means whereby the pinion will be automatically demeshed from the engine gear when theengine starts; a edal operated lever and a pinion shifting ever. concentrically pivoted a spring pressed pawl pivoted on the pedal lever and engagin a notch provided by the other lever; a

switch for closing a circuit for efiecting relatively slow operation of the motor, said switch having a plunger normally biased in switch-open position and arranged in the path of movement of the pawl but moved by the pawl to close the switch while the pawl remains connected to the pinion lever to move the pinion into engagement with the engine gear; a stop arrestin further movement of the plunger after said pinion engagement whereby urther movement of the lever will cause thepawl to be disconnected from the pinion lever; and a second switch closed by operation of the pedal lever for effecting the engine cranking operation of the motor.

4. Engine starting apparatus comprising, in combination, an electric motor, a spirally splined shaft operated by the motor, a pinion driven by said splines and movable endwise into mesh with a gear of an engine to be started, an armfor shifting the pinion, a' pedal normally actuating the arm; a switch for controlling a circuit for eifecting' relatively low torqlilie operation of the motor, means including t e actuator of said switch for efiecting the disconnection of the pedal and inion shifting arm after the pinion has een meshed with the engine gear, and a second switch operated by the pedal for effecting the engine cranking operation of the motor. a

5. En ine starting apparatus comprising, in combination, an electric motor, a spirally splined shaft operated by the motor, a pinion driven by said splines and movable endwise into mesh with a gear of sin engine to be started, an arm for shifting the pinion, a pedal normally actuating the arm; a switch for controlling a circuit for effecting relatively low torque operation ofthe motor,

a link for transmitting motion from the pedal to the arm, an actuator for said switch engaged by said link during movement of said pedal whereby to operate the switch and to disable the link, and a second switch operated by the pedal for effecting 7 the engine cranking operation of the motor. In testimony whereof I hereto aflix my signature.

' FREDERICK J. HARDMAN. 

